SOMINA 03 - Gotz Pre-1987 Soft-Bodied 18" WEICHGELENKPUPPE - American Girl Doll Prototype
This Vintage Gotz Modell Doll was produced in UNKNOWN YEAR (please note: Gotz Doll Wiki is unable to verify if this is her original outfit: if it is, she is wearing a Gotz-Modell pin, which places her year of production prior to 1987). She measures 46cm/18" tall and has a Doll ID # or Catalog Code #: UNKNOWN. As this doll was produced in an unknown year and may/may not have an actual catalog name, for cataloguing and American Girl doll collector purposes, Gotz Doll Wiki has named her "SOMINA 03," as she is the third "SOFT-BODIED ROMINA or ''SOMINA" (see below) to be catalogued. A 'SOMINA' shares the same facial mold as both the '''ROMINA' and American Girl dolls (ex. this SOMINA resembles "Kirsten"), but she has a soft, padded cloth torso vs. the all-vinyl torso of a '''ROMINA.' '''SOMINA 03' has ROOTED, long, slightly curly blonde hair with straight bangs; in the photo on the right, her hair is worn down; however, it is unclear if this is her original hair style (please note: some ROMINAS do have shorter bangs and the Seller did not believe her bangs had been cut). Her "sleepy eyes" are BLUE with a DECAL eye design. This doll is an soft-bodied, articulated doll. Gotz categorizes this doll as a SOFT'' "ARTICULATED" DOLL''' (or "Weichgelenkpuppe") due to its SOFT body type (it is made out of soft, padded cloth) and for its "JOINTED" or ARTICULATED vinyl shoulders and hips, which allow '''''it to sit/stand unaided. (see Articulated Dolls). These dolls are designed to resemble natural human proportions. Weichgelenkpuppe's are classified as a "Play Doll;" they have been specifically designed and created with materials capable of withstanding vigorous child play. Play Dolls primarily have "rooted" hair, or hair that is inserted directly into the skull, (although some Weichgelenkpuppes will have a Kanekalon wig); "rooted" hair is very durable and can be repeatedly pulled/tugged. They may have "fixed" (painted, open/shut) eyes or "sleepy-eyes" (eyes open/shut when a doll's position is altered) made from quality plastics. Their outfits, while still high-quality and well-crafted, tend to be made from fabrics and materials that are selected more for durability and care than appearance. Finally, these dolls and their body parts are mass-produced and are not designed by a specific Doll Artist. 'Did You Know?' *''American Girl'' doll collectors refer to dolls with this facial mold as a "ROMINA" (if the doll is a girl) and a "ROMINO" (if the doll is a boy)? It's true! ROMINA/Os are considered by many to be the American Girl doll prototype. A "SOMINA" is the soft-bodied ROMINA. Pleasant Rowland, the founder of Pleasant Company and American Girl, decided to go with this doll's facial mold paired with a soft doll torso and voila! the American Girl doll line was born! This is why ROMINA/O and the first three American Girl dolls: Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly (along with dolls thereafter) all look alike; they all share this same “classic” facial mold. *In 1986, Gotz exclusively produced the first three historical American Girl dolls in their West Germany plant until production needs increased and additional production plants were opened in Hungary, Germany and even the United States! __TOC__ 'Catalog Information' *Doll Name: UNKNOWN/SOMINA 03 *Year Produced: UNKNOWN: PRODUCED PRIOR TO 1987 *Doll ID #/Catalog Code #: UNKNOWN *Height in cm/inches: 46cm/18" *Torso Material: CLOTH *Body Type: SOFT-BODIED *German Classification: WEICHGELENKPUPPE *German Classification (in English): SOFT ARTICULATED DOLL *Doll Type: PLAY DOLL *Neckstamp Mold #: Gotz-Puppe *Doll Collection/Series/Lines: Gotz Modell *'Facial Mold Used: ROMINA' *Original Cost of Doll: UNKNOWN *Country Doll Produced In: UNKNOWN Physical Characteristics *Hair Color: BLONDE HAIR *Hair Length: LONG HAIR *Hair Style: SLIGHTLY CURLY HAIR with straight bangs. *Hair Description: Long, slightly curly blonde hair with straight bangs (which may originally be short as shown); her hair in the photo on the right is worn straight down (it is unclear if this is her original hair style). *Hair Type: ROOTED HAIR made from KANEKALON FIBER *Eye Type: SLEEPY EYES *Eye Color: BLUE EYES *Eye Design: DECAL **'DECAL': Eye design comprised of thin, striated, straight lines that radiate outwards from the pupil to the edge of the iris. *Other Noticeable Physical Traits: TEETH; American Girl'' Doll Prototype''' 'Articulation Classification' *Articulation Locations: Both shoulders; both hips *Internal Articulation Mechanism:' BALL-JOINTED SOCKETS' *Articulation Types: MULTI-ARTICULATED (4-5 JOINTS MOVE/POSE): Doll can sit/stand unaided; both shoulders and hips move/pose; head does not articulate but manually rotates within the cloth torso. 'Articulation Explained' Articulation refers to whether or not a doll '''can move one or more of its body parts (neck; arms; legs; waist, etc) ''independently of its body and/or hold that body part in a pose. Each moveable, poseable doll body part will typically have a ball-jointed socket, referred to as an articulation joint and each articulation joint is located on a specific part of the body (known as an articulation location). These articulation locations are then added up to classify the doll within a specific articulation type. It is important to catalog this information as many dolls share the same face mold but have different body types. Click on each "purple" word as this is a link to an article with more information on that topic. 'Original Outfit' Please provide a brief, detailed physical description on the appearance, material, design, etc. of this doll's original outfit along with any original accessories. Please Note: Gotz Doll Wiki is unable to factually verify that this is SOMINA 03's original outfit; however, the Seller (who was the second owner) said her outfit is original and she is missing her bloomer underwear. 'Original Box' Please provide a brief, detailed physical description and photo of this doll's original box. Category:Doll Index Category:AMERICAN GIRL Doll Prototypes: ROMINA; ROMINO; SOMINA Category:Article Category:Article Stub Category:Requires Fill-In Category:Photo Needed Category:Articulated Dolls Category:Play Dolls Category:Soft-Bodied Dolls Category:Cloth Torso Dolls Category:Weichgelenkstehpuppe = Articulated Soft Standing Doll Category:Weichgelenkpuppe = Articulated Soft Body Doll Category:Weichgelenkpuppe = Soft Articulated Doll Category:Dolls Produced Between 1980-1989 Category:Vintage Gotz Modell Category:DOLLS BY DECADE - UNKNOWN Category:Dolls without Catalog Photos Category:Dolls without Catalog Names Category:UNKNOWN GERMAN DOLL NAME Category:Sleepy Eyes Category:Rooted Hair Dolls Category:18" Dolls Category:Dolls with Teeth Category:Blonde Haired Dolls Category:Long Haired Dolls Category:Dolls with Bangs Category:Blue Eyed Dolls Category:Decal Eyes Category:Light Skinned Dolls Category:Girl Dolls & Girl Baby Dolls Category:Slightly Curly Haired Dolls Category:Gotz-Puppe